Cannabis News

The HEMP Embassy Headlines are a selection of recent articles from news services and media sources primarily concerning Cannabis issues, the consequences of prohibition and the challenges for law reform. Here are the selected headlines for this week.

This bulletin summarises data from a nationally representative survey of Australians (The National Drug Strategy Household Survey) which asks people their opinions about the legal status of drug in 2016. We differentiate what Australians think about “legalisation” versus “decriminalisation” for four different types of drugs (cannabis, ecstasy, heroin and meth/amphetamine) across three survey years: 2010, 2013 and 2016. We also explore how the Australian public think money should be directed in responding to illicit drugs.

The developer of a medicinal cannabis factory hopes a quiet corner of country Victoria will become a hub for cannabis farmers. MediPharm Labs Australia is building a manufacturing site and warehouse in Wonthaggi, south-east of Melbourne, to import and process medicinal cannabis products, including cannabis oil.

NORTH AMERICA

At the start of 2018, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that a study on legalizing cannabis was to be conducted by the state Department of Health. Last Friday, the 75-page report was turned in, and it heavily favors legalization and regulation over continuing with archaic policies of criminalization and prohibition. Their report found that the “positive effects” of legalization certainly “outweigh the potential negative impacts”, citing things like tax revenue and reducing racially disproportionate arrests as a few of the major positive outcomes of legalizing.

Opened just a few weeks ago, Harmony Dispensary is the latest site in New Jersey to provide marijuana for medical use, a program that has expanded greatly since Gov. Philip D. Murphy, a Democrat, was sworn in. More than 10,000 patients have enrolled since he took office in January, bringing the total to about 25,000. And on Monday, Mr. Murphy’s office announced it was seeking up to six new applicants for medicinal marijuana dispensaries.

Cannabis legalization in California is expected to generate $3.7 billion in sales in 2018, but requires policy initiatives to mitigate potential negative environmental impacts. California is in a unique position to create a sustainable cannabis industry.

Health Canada said Friday it’s prepared to crack down on licensed medical marijuana producers who are sponsoring music festivals and other events. The federal department said it’s “concerned” about some companies that have engaged in corporate sponsorships and other promotional activities that go against the Cannabis Act. It said the government has made it “abundantly clear” what isn’t permitted under the laws, such as marketing to minors.

Regulations under the Cannabis Act will establish the rules and standards that will apply to the production, distribution, sale, importation and exportation of cannabis by federal licence holders. Those regulations were published in the Canada Gazette, Part II, on July 11, 2018.

UK & EUROPE

But reading the detailed advice accompanying this announcement reveals it will be neither quick nor equitable. First, there is a complex eleven-page application form which will prove to be off-putting for many patients or carers in the midst of health problems. Second, a senior doctor has to approve the application and confirm that all treatment options have been exhausted and that they will accept full responsibility for risks and liability. Most doctors will not be familiar with the medical benefits of cannabis.

The Home Office is reviewing the £3,655 cost of medicinal cannabis licences after it emerged that a new panel to provide patients with access to the schedule 1 drug had received almost no applications.

A majority of the British public back the legalisation of cannabis so that it would be sold in shops like alcohol and tobacco, a poll has revealed. There was also majority support for decriminalisation, something that would free up police time and resources to deal with serious crime. The exclusive BMG Research poll for The Independent comes days after cannabis oil was for the first time brought into the UK legally, to treat an epileptic boy.

Health minister Agnès Buzyn has said she is “not against” the legalisation of cannabis cigarettes for medical reasons in France, if they are proven to be more effective than other cannabis-based drugs.

Uttarakhand may become the first Indian state to allow cannabis cultivation as the state government has granted licence to the Indian Industrial Hemp Association (IIHA) to grow the fibre over 1,000 hectares on a pilot basis.

HEALTH & SCIENCE

New research on how cannabis use alters eating behavior could lead to treatments for appetite loss in chronic illness, according to experts at Washington State University. Using a new procedure to dose lab rats with cannabis vapor, the researchers found how the drug triggers hunger hormones. They also identified specific brain regions that shift to ‘hungry’ mode while under the influence, according to a report they shared this week at the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior, an international meeting of scientific experts on eating.

Lessening restrictions on the study of CBD would also be good news for biotech startups that have been producing cannabinoids through genetic engineering. These products could be purer and more affordable than those obtained through older methods of extraction from marijuana plants or chemical synthesis. “It’s a biochemical gold rush right now”, says Oliver Kayser, a bioengineer at the Technical University of Dortmund in Germany.

Rosin is a cannabis extract, similar to other concentrates, like shatter, wax, and oil. However, unlike these other concentrates, rosin is extracted without the use of solvents like butane, hexane, and other potentially toxic chemicals, allowing for a safer, healthier extract.

The crushed velvet sofas and mahogany panels of Mayfair may seem a world away from skinning up a joint in the park but London high finance and cannabis are colliding in what’s been dubbed a 21st-century green rush. Dozens of City types descended on the boutique Dukes hotel in St James’s on Tuesday for the Cannabis Invest UK conference, a kind of speed dating for the cannabis industry where companies showcase themselves to investors.

CULTURE & SOCIETY

The use of hemp in craft beer was a topic of discussion as more than 13,000 craft beer professionals made their way to Nashville for the 2018 Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) this spring. According to Alva Mather, an alcohol beverage lawyer who presented at the “Cannabis and Craft Beer” CBC seminar, hemp contains less than one percent THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, which LiveScience.com defines as the chemical responsible for most of marijuana’s psychological effects. Hemp seeds, seed oil and stalk aren’t considered a controlled substance.

An award-winning California strain, Bubba Kush has become popular worldwide for its lineage and desirable medicating effects. Bubba Kush is almost pure indica, typically. The strain offers the relaxing, relieving effects of a heady indica, but won’t often cause a dreaded “couch-lock”. Many cannabis enthusiasts consider Bubba Kush to be one of the tastiest and most appealing of the milder indica strains. One thing is for sure: The strain has become a staple in the cannabis industry since the mid 2000’s and appears to be here to stay.

Changing your opinion can invoke a lot of scrutiny. And if you happen to have power, people will inevitably put your words and position under a microscope. If your changed opinion is on the hot topic of weed, then it’s bound to make headlines. Powerful people change their mind all the time. Here’s an important list of powerful people who changed their mind about weed, for better or worse.

FUNDRAISERS/CAMPAIGNS

21 June Breaking news! Tony has been released on bail. Tony of Mullaway’s Medical Cannabis has once again been arrested for growing his cannabis medicine! Tony makes cannabis tincture for children with epilepsy and countless others with cancer, chronic pain, ms and the list goes on. Tony Bower has dedicated his life to helping others and now needs your help. All Donations would be greatly appreciated.

Andrew is behind bars again and may be there until the trial starts in November unless a Supreme Court appeal passes. Funds to date have gone to a legal team plus barrister. More recently a lawyer has been engaged to appear in court RE the current matter. 3 lawyers will now have visited Andrew in jail since the beginning of his first in Parklea and now in the Hunter Valley.

Let’s get real about cannabis.The “war on drugs” has been lost. These days, millions of Australians choose to use cannabis and countries all around the world are changing their laws after realising prohibition does more harm than good. It’s high time we joined them and legalised it. That’s why I’m proud to announce today that the Greens are launching our national plan to legalise cannabis for adult use.

EVENTS

We’re seeking participants for our first Unharm Hackathon, where small teams of participants will put their heads together – and compete against each other – to pitch new and exciting ideas for achieving our vision.

MEDICAN WEEKENDS at the BUSH THEATRE, Nimbin [Hemp Embassy]

The next Medican Workshops will be on the weekend of October 20/21 and then January 19/20, 2019. Entry by donation, beside the river at Nimbin’s Bush Theatre. Starting at 11 am and aiming to finish by 420! Learn how to make and use Cannabis as medicine!

Speaker presentations from the Nimbin Medican Workshop, last weekend 23-24 June 2018, are now online. Big thanks to Disco Sista for documenting the many medican workshops that the Embassy has hosted in Nimbin over the past 3 years. If you’ve missed these amazing gatherings, then you can still watch the speakers online: Click on this link to head to Disco Sista’s Nimbin Medican YouTube Channel.

IF YOU WANT IT: When Phil Bromley moved from Sydney to one of Australia’s most famous and surprisingly largest tourism destinations, Nimbin he felt like he’d found home. Six years on, after observing and experiencing the relentless police harassment and mainstream media victimization of his new hometown, Phil felt it was time to let the town tell their story in their own words. ‘Exposing The War On Drugs’ is an eight part radio documentary series that looks at how the war on drugs has affected Australia and the rest of the world. Broadcast around Australia on the Community Radio Network, from the 18th April and podcast at https://player.whooshkaa.com/shows/exposing-the-war-on-drugs . With the spotlight on Nimbin, Australia’s most famous “alternative” town, the team from NIM FM, (Nimbin’s local community radio station), explore drug prohibition, medicinal cannabis, addiction and Nimbin itself; and offer some solutions to the costly drug war that has raged since the early 1930s.

Entheogenesis Australis (EGA) would like to thank the psychedelic community for it’s ongoing support and attendance at our recent Psychedelic Symposium. Since the event we’ve had a lot of inquiries about obtaining copies of the new EGA Journal 4 and other special merchandise. To browse, please feel free to head to the EGA Shop online or click on the items below. This is also your chance to pick up classic and new T-shirt designs. Please keep in mind much of the stock is very limited so don’t delay!